India-Russia bilateral relationship
In December 2025, Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting India for the 23rd India-Russia Annual Summit, his first visit since the Ukraine conflict began, underscoring the importance of the bilateral relationship despite geopolitical pressures and Western sanctions.
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India and Russia share a long-standing "Special and Privileged Strategic Partnership" that has been a cornerstone of India's foreign policy. This relationship, rooted in the Indo-Soviet ties dating back to 1955, has seen significant cooperation across various sectors.
Key Areas of Cooperation:
- Politics and Diplomacy: Both nations collaborate within international forums such as the UN, BRICS, G20, and SCO. Russia has expressed support for India's permanent seat on the UN Security Council.
- Defence: Russia has historically been India's largest defense supplier, with Russian-made equipment comprising a significant portion of India's military hardware. Joint programs include the BrahMos cruise missile and the development of fighter jets. However, India has been diversifying its defense imports in recent years due to geopolitical shifts and a focus on domestic production.
- Economy and Trade: Bilateral trade has seen substantial growth, reaching a record high of USD 68.7 billion in FY 2024-25. The target is to increase this to USD 100 billion by 2030. This surge has been largely driven by India's increased imports of Russian crude oil, often at discounted prices. Both countries are exploring ways to enhance market access for their goods and are working towards a Programme of Economic Cooperation 2030.
- Civil Nuclear Energy: Russia is involved in India's largest nuclear power project, with discussions ongoing for collaboration on small modular reactors.
- Science and Technology: Cooperation extends to areas like space exploration and information and communication technology (ICT).
- Cultural Exchange: There are ongoing efforts to facilitate cultural exchange between the two nations.
Recent Developments and Challenges:
- Russia-Ukraine Conflict: The ongoing conflict has presented challenges to India-Russia ties, impacting political and diplomatic relations and intensifying economic cooperation difficulties. India has maintained a nuanced approach, balancing relations with both Moscow and the West.
- Geopolitical Pressures: India faces growing pressure from Western countries, particularly the US, to reduce its ties with Russia. This has led to discussions about potential trade agreements with the EU and US creating "awkward optics" if they coincide with high-level meetings with Russia.
- Defence Diversification: While defense cooperation remains strong, India's reliance on Russia has decreased as it diversifies its defense sources and develops its domestic defense industry. Delays in Russian defense equipment delivery due to the Ukraine war have also been a factor.
- Russia-China Proximity: Russia's increasing ties with China, especially amidst Western sanctions, raise concerns for India due to its own strategic rivalry with China.
- Logistic Support: Russia's State Duma ratified the Reciprocal Exchange of Logistic Support (RELOS) pact on December 1, 2025, enabling mutual access to military facilities for joint exercises, training, and humanitarian operations.
Despite these challenges, both nations continue to reaffirm their strategic partnership through high-level visits and institutionalized dialogue mechanisms like the India-Russia Annual Summit.
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